LA MOTOR SHOW: New Mazda CX-5 -- Evolution not revolution

Mazda has debuted the second generation CX-5. And while it might look familiar, the changes are still substantial. Built on the latest version of Mazda’s SKYACTIV platform, the body is all-new, as is the interior. And although the powertrains are carried over, insiders are promising more performance and economy gains.

Best of all, the new car is claimed to address one of the few criticisms motoring.com.au has of the outgoing model – refinement. Mazda says the new CX-5 offers a 10 per cent improvement in conversation clarity at 100km/h. The appropriateness of said conversation is all yours – we’d suggest staying away from religion and politics…

Mazda debuted the new car earlier today on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The USA is a key market for the mid-sized SUV but so too is Australia. Consistently Australia’s top-selling SUV, the CX-5 is arguably Mazda Australia’s most profitable model line. No surprise then, the local arm has been involved in the development of the new CX-5, providing customer feedback and driving prototypes in Japan at key stages of development.

Australian road conditions were tracked by Mazda engineers to use for baseline engineering of the new model. Indeed, the data collected will be used on all future Mazda models.

So what’s changed? Despite the evolutionary styling, just about everything.

The wheelbase is the same as the outgoing model at 2700mm but the new car is a fraction longer (at 4550 it’s +10mm). Width is unchanged and the new car is lower -- 20mm (1690mm) which is a noticeable amount. The driver seat H-point appears unchanged but with the A-pillar moved 35mm rearwards and the screen raked a little, the new car looks sportier.

Track front and rear has also been increased over the outgoing model, lending the CX-5 a more planted stance.

More ultra-high-tensile steel used in construction of the body delivers benefits in crash performance and overall refinement. Mazda claims the new car’s centre of gravity is lower and the actual body in white is stiffer (around 15% in torsion). All these factors should allow Mazda’s suspension boffins to improve road-holding and response without losing decent ride characteristics. It’ll take a test drive on local roads to really assess if they’ve succeeded.

Mazda CX-5 Program Manager Masaya Kodama was also involved in the CX-9, carsales’ just crowned Car of the Year. No surprises then that there are similarities in the new 5’s exterior styling cues and interior design – the general air of quality the CX-9 exhibits is present in the new 5.

Kodama’s resume also includes Mazda 3 suspension revisions and he worked on BT-50 in Australia.

Regular CX-5 drivers will notice a significant step-up in interior quality. There’s a new, larger dash-top screen and the centre stack and console have both been revised; the latter raised to bring gear knob/auto shifter closer to hand.

Kodama says the new CX-5 is the next step in Mazda’s evolution both in terms of the maturation of the brand’s KODO styling language and the mechanical and human aspects of its vehicles.

“Moving forward, we aim to create cars that provide driving pleasure, not only for the driver, but for everybody riding in the car… The Next-Gen Mazda CX-5, which refines every aspect of Mazda’s current technology and design, is the first step in this journey,” he stated.

The car also debuts a new version of the brand’s hero colour, Soul Red Crystal, which Mazda says “combines vivid highlights and crystalline depths and further accentuates the design of the second generation Mazda CX-5”.

More practical aspects of the new car are the adoption of Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control chassis system and the latest i-ACTIVSENSE active safety systems, as well as the addition of a head-up display on higher grade models. Although the differences are marginal, it also boasts more luggage space. For the first time, the rear seat back has a recline function.

Mazda Australia marketing boss Alastair Doak told motoring.com.au it was too early to talk pricing for the new CX-5 which is expected to go on sale after Easter (2017).

He did state, however, that the new line-up would be a “tweak” on the current offering with a 2.0-litre base grade, front-drive petrol manual retained and the choice of both 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre turbodiesel autos in higher-spec variants.

motoring.com.au expects at least one addition to the current, four-grade offering, and the new car could move its top models even more upmarket.

“We want to make sure the CX-5 and the [medium SUV]  segment remains fresh and relevant. If that means we have to tweak the line-up, we’ll tweak the line up,” Doak told motoring.com.au.

“We always reevaluate what customers want, where the market’s going… With this new car, we look at the line-up with fresh eyes. We’ve submitted what we would like [to the factory],” he said.

“With CX-5 we have a very large owner base we can talk to and we want to make sure we give them a great next-gen [CX-5] story.”

Since the CX-5 was launched in 2012 as Mazda’s first all-new model featuring KODO design and SKYACTIV chassis and powertrain technology, the car has been a key model for the brand. More than 1.4m units have been sold globally. October year to date Down Under, Mazda Australia has already delivered more than 20,000 CX-5s –18% up on its nearest direct competitor.